All together now: UNBELIEVABLE
Published:
May 20, 2013 at 8:59pm
The President said on TVHemm that Darleen Zerafa has not ‘applied’ for the job of running the eating disorders centre and that she has no intention of applying.
Applied? Was there a call?
And the cat must really have got Norman Vella’s tongue, because he didn’t snap right back with the screamingly obvious questions: “Oh, but I was under the impression that you justified paying for her expenses on the grounds that she would be working for this project? If she’s not going to be working for this project, then why is the Italian side of the project financing her course and why did you want the Community Chest Fund to bankroll her expenses? Just for fun?”
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Resign NOW, Mr President.
He brought his position into disrepute so much so that I propose the Presidency office should be abolished. It’s simply a waste of taxpayers’ money.
How about we start one of those change.org petitions?
We could ask Madame Tussauds to make us a suitably presidential-looking wax figure and every five years we’ll change the face.
The office of president in Malta is a big joke, it will never be abolished. Fenech Adami appointed himself president as soon as ended his political career as prime minister, he milked the system to the very end. That was a very divisive decision.
Can anyone have ever imagined Mintoff as president following his appalling record on human rights and freedom of expression in Malta and his friendship with North Korea and Ghaddafi?
Neither the PL nor the PN will ever abolish the office of president.
Fenech Adami, milking the system?
He is the man who brought the milk over to the island in the first place, instead of the poison we were force-fed by Mintoff and KMB.
The only reason that presidency was divisive was because the Malta Labour Party deemed it should be so and boycotted him from Day One.
Fenech Adami took this nation from the brink of civil war and dictatorship to a modern nation with high aspirations and an economic development that was non-existent under Labour.
Milking the system indeed!
Are you sane or what? Are you comparing an ultra statesmanlike person – Dr Fenech Adami to Mintoff, or am I not understanding something here?
Milking the system? You must be joking. Fenech Adami did not even opt to live out the presidency at San Anton. He and his wife continued living at their home.
Obviously a troll.
Another John & Futur mill-aghar
I am not comparing Dr Fenech Adami with Mintoff. I fully agree with what you said about Fenech Adami, he saved Malta from a megalomaniac and stubborn brute, Dom Mintoff and his gang of bullies including Lorry Sant.
I am very grateful to him for this and he deserves credit for his role, but I do not agree that he should have become president.
President George Abela MUST resign now, but I very much doubt he will.
I’d rate Fenech Adami as Malta’s best president, ever. Because unlike most of the others, here was someone we could call a statesman, who had actually led his country to great things. You don’t often find Maltese politicians who deserve their position, but with Fenech Adami it just felt right. If anything, it was a demotion of sorts.
Of course the hordes of Laburisti will disagree, but here’s my two fingers to that. This man dragged us – dragged YOU too, kicking and screaming – into the EU and that’s all that counts.
Please do not mix things up. Do not compare Mintoff with Eddie Fenech Adami. They are miles apart. Neither to Abela.
Fenech Adami did a good job when he was both PM and President of Malta. No one can say anything about the way he conducted himself in these two posts. He just brought dignity and respect in both of them.
Deceitful is never a nice word to describe an embarrassing situation, however, in these circumstances, I would consider it quite apt.
The only good thing that the President said was that he was not interested in a second term.
Is Norman Vella incompetent, or is he, similar to other reporters in Malta, simply and subtly intimidated by MLP politicians?
He is incompetent. Kmieni ndunajt.
No – he’s been castrated.
He became docile like all other reporters.
Norman should watch ‘hardtalk’ on BBC
Poor Norman, I don’t envy his position.
Poor President, he was caught with the finger in the pie. His proposal to sponsor Ms Zerafa’s studies is enough material for a decent person to step down.
Maybe JPO was right when he opposed him being chosen to be our president.
Daphne 1 – 0 the presidency. No wonder the powers that be want to rein in the media. We haven’t even hit the first 100 days.
Did Norman Vella ask the President who was the real Alfred Mangion?
Of course not. He barely opened his mouth. He just let the President with his two stooges run the show.
Dear Mr President, my life is so stressful. Under this government it has become even more stressful (even though I must admit that the stories coming out daily are making life more interesting).
Can I apply for funds to travel abroad for a holiday? Through your gesture, you will prove that you do not only give out funds to family. I will book Airmalta and not Ryanair as the seats are more comfortable.
Resign or we won’t give another cent.
I won’t donate another cent. There are other, worthy causes.
Mr. President, you were really good when you talked fluently about the project that Dr. Gonzi launched a few months ago, but you were so pathetic when you tried to justify this financing of Darleen.
You also have to thank Norman Vella, who was not his usual self, as it was very obvious that he kept back from asking you the real questions.
I’m sure the questions asked were the only questions the President wanted to hear.
His Excellency explained nothing. What he did was confirm the authenticity of the minutes published on this website, and get cross at the person who leaked them.
This is no controversy at all. The truth is there for us to see misappropriation of funds that’s what it is.
Anke Prof. Anton Grech waqa’ ghac-cajt meta ddefenda lill-President.
One word comes to mind: Surreal.
KAFKESQUE more like it`!
That’s weird, especially when a sentence later he continued that the CCF has the capacity to issue funds for scholarships by statute.
He also declared Darleen Zerafa to have the exclusive to the skills required.
Could be, however if the techniques mentioned result to be restricted to the one institute, which if I understand, result from experience gained on a regional level, it’s not for a charity to decide whether the methodology is adequate.
That’s up to qualified health professionals and researchers on our behalf. Will no one start making some phone interviews?
Possibbli li issur
Possibbli li is-Sur President ta’ Malta ma jjafx xi jmur u ma jmurx meta jaghmel stqarrijiet bhal dawn?
Verament jahseb li programm bhal dan tal-lejla hu il-post addattat fejn jghid tieghu fuq din il kontroversja gdida li iddeffes fiha?
L-ufficcju tal-President ta’ Malta qatt ma lahaq dawn il-livelli baxxi. L-ebda president qablu ma qatt iddeffes f’ dawn it-tip ta kontroversi meta kien/kienet tokkupa il-Presidenza ta’ Malta.
Mr President. For heaven’s sake it’s not Aneroxia and a person is not called anaroxic.
One would have thought you would have at least read about Anorexia nervosa enough to get the name right since you endorsed it so heavily.
But then literacy is not our forte. According to your pal, Evarist Bartolo, the recently published report on literacy levels in Europe, Malta has a 36% illiteracy rate, placing it in the 25th position out of the EU27. The only countries to fare worse were Romania and Bulgaria.
May I point out that it was a pathetic appearance on TVHemm which certainly did not help you or your cause.
Looking at the line-up of Labour parliamentarians the eating dysfunction that should worry H E the President, the Zerafas and the Malta Community Chest Fund should be “Bulimia” not “Anorexia”.
The President said that Darleen Zerafa will only be helping while the centre is being organised.
So we are supposed to believe that the Italians forked out money, and the CCF offered to fork out money, so that she would help temporarily.
Something else needs to be asked. What are the Italian centres going to get in return for their help and their investment in Darleen?
On another note, did you read about the open market being transferred near the new parliament building?
Please lambast him for 10 straight days, maybe the buffoon will get it and step down.
As if, yes, hold your breath! This is Malta, resignation is not in Malta’s political vocabulary, especially under the LP.
The President is right. According to the minutes of the MCCF published on this site, it would seem that Ms. Zerafa never applied for the job and maybe she does not have any intention of applying. In fact:
“H.E told members that MCCF is to nominate its representative and suggested Ms. Darleen Zerafa to represent MCCF the foundation’s board. This proposal for nomination was being made after taking into consideration that she is currently following a Masters course in Italy organized with the collaboration of the Eating Disorders Centers in Todi and Pieve. ”
And later:
“All board members agreed and approved the said nomination.”
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/05/please-donate-money-to-the-community-chest-fund-to-pay-for-a-masters-degree-course-in-italy-flights-and-accomodation-for-lydia-abelas-sister-darleen/
To me, this means that it was H.E. who proposed to nominate Ms. Zerafa to be appointed on the board of the foundation, and the board of the MCCF approved the proposed nomination.
However,based on those minutes, it is fair to believe that the intention was that Ms. Zerafa will be on the board of the foundation. This contrasts with the following line reported in The Times:
“It was not true, he insisted, that Dar Kenn Ghall-Sahhtek would be run by Ms Zerafa. A public call for those who wished to work there would be issued in the coming weeks.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130520/local/president-not-interested-in-a-second-term-explains-community-chest-fund-controversy.470545
Besides the conflicts of personal and other interests, what I find unbelievable in this story is how Ms. Zerafa, rather than using her expertise to give freely to the MCCF as a charity, was actually benefitting from the charity in the process of developing her expertise.
Yes, ‘unbelievable’, ciccio. However, what else would one expect from such bandits, now running (down) the country.
The incredible faux pas was committed when the President of the Republic and Chairman of the MCCF made an indecent proposal for consideration by the MFCC Board in a situation where there was a clear cut case of nepotism and a conflict of interest.
Our president is really sweet. He chairs a committtee, makes a proposal for a relative of his, stays on during the meeting and according to him ‘says nothing more’.
Did he expect the other members to voice their disapproval in his presence and on a suggestion/proposal coming from HIM, the President of the Republic?
@maryanne:
Seeing how he treated others he ‘lost his faith in’ – bringing it to the attention of all media himself before any consultation (least of which with his PR/media officers) or investigation, all very un-stateman-like – I doubt the importance of the post of the Presidency itself was their only fear.
According to the report of TV Hemm’s interview with the President carried on inewsmalta.com it is stated “Il-President qal li matul il-Presidenza tiegħu mhux se tkun Darlene Zerafa li tmexxi d-Dar Kenn għal Saħħtek”.
Please note what the President said “matul il-Presidenza tieghu” (during his term of office i.e. up to 4 April 2014). What will happen after that date.
http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20130520-mhux-interessat-nag-mel-ames-snin-ra-il-president
What will happen after April 2014?
The position at Dar Kenn will remain vacant until Zerafa graduates…
It’s all in the plan.
Seriously, as a largely ceremonial role, why not have a small dog or parrot as president?
It would have to be the dog I’m afraid, as the parrot is in Chris Cardona’s office… and in a new cage mind.
My father thinks our national emblem should be a Chihuahua and it should replace the George Cross on our flag. But to appoint a Chihuahua as president, I think, would be our finest hour.
[Daphne – OH good, now we have something to talk about. In a taxi in Palermo, last year: Taxi driver – “Where you from?” Me – “Malta”. Taxi driver – “Ah, I want much come to Malta to buy Maltese dog.” Me – “You can’t buy Maltese dogs in Malta. As far as I know nobody breeds them, and I haven’t so much as seen one for years. You’d be better off going to Paris. They are everywhere there.”
BIG PAUSE. Taxi driver – “My friend says Malta full of Maltese dogs.” Me – “OK, you mean tal-fenek. No need to go to Malta for that. There’s an identical Sicilian breed, cirneco dell’Etna.” Taxi driver – “No, no, no! Maltese dog, very small, chi chi chiwa.” Me (groaning inwardly and whispering to myself, oh my God): “Chihuahua. That’s not a Maltese dog. That’s a Mexican dog. But yes, the place is full of them and people breed them and carry them about.” I then spend the rest of the ride wondering whether the Chihuahua has become the ‘Maltese dog’ because it so closely reflects the Maltese personality. Do people identify with these puny, yapping, humourless canine rats, or what? I can’t stand them, but that figures.]
What were you doing in Palermo, given you hate the Sicilians, Daphne?
[Daphne – Cooking and so on. I don’t hate Sicilians. I hate nobody. It’s just that being in Sicily is so often like being caught up in an endless nightmarish loop of a Maltese trade fair crowd. Civilised Sicilians are as invisible as civilised Maltese, because they are hugely, hugely outnumbered. But they exist, and that’s where I was.]
To me Chihuahuas look more like canine bats (not rats).
Loved that interchange with the taxi guy, Daphne.
Personally, I love Sicily, especially Palermo. Love the seedy people. Very warm if you don’t screw up.
Don’t know about Kevvy’s ‘Chihuahua’ fixation, though. Could be that his bark is worse than his bite.
Don’t Chihuahua’s have very small balls?
Il-kelb tal-kina huwa il-kelb ufficjali ta’ Malta.
Mur hdejn xi hanut tat-te u tara xi ragel b’zaqq daqsiex jitkellem fuq iz-zwiemel jew il-loghob tal-ballun, bil-virdun fil-gabjetta taht ghabtu u marbut ma’ cinga irqieqa il-kelba tal-kina.
@ Catsrbest:
Well, bats are sometimes referred to as ‘rodents with wings’.
Spot on Daphne, Chihuahuas reflect the personality of the Maltese – humourless.
The personality! That was my dad’s main point, which I failed to mention. They would snarl and bark at a lion. As long as it’s well chained.
Purdie, I wasn’t going to honour your wit, but then I thought why not humour the master of the jibe, so I thought I’d put in a scrotum’s worth in dedication to all that you’re worth. I hope you like it.
The worst mistake the President has committed in all his career and his presidency was his appearance on TVHemm. The reasons are various.
He admitted on record that money donated to the Community Chest Fund under his presidency was used for scholarships, without the donating public being told.
It is not done for the President to go on television to defend his actions. If he finds himself having to do that, then it’s time to go before he does it.
This is not a matter of partisan politics. He is the president and whether we are shocked at this behaviour has nothing to do with how we vote.
He should have avoided conflict of interest. Anybody close to his son is by definition linked to him and hence, conflict of interest arises.
Claiming that Church, PN and PL representatives were present during this infamous meeting does not absolve him of direct responsibility for creating the situation in the first place. He should not have put his fellow board members in that awkward position.
He did not say that they were present at the meeting. He said that they are in the Community Chest Fund committee. We don’t know who was actually present.
The more Mr. President tried to convince that he did nothing wrong the more I was convinced the opposite.
One thing I wish to add, since the President’s proposal and its unanimous approval for financial assistance to Ms Zerafa was minuted why hadn’t her refusal for such assistance been minuted too?
I fully agree
George
True, the more the president said, the deeper he dug his own hole. About time now, someone filled it up!
Poor Dr Gonzi, I really pity him because he thought George Abela was a real statesmanlike person like him. How wrong he was! George is only an ignoble person in disguise.
It was an experiment that failed.
George Abela was counsel for defence this evening on TVHemm, not President of the Republic.
And as they say, he who defends himself has a fool for client.
The entire programme was built as a lawyer’s oral pleading in court, with expert / character witness etc.
This is really the lowest ebb any incumbent ever reached.
I’m sorry to have to say this, but I have to agree with those who are arguing that Dr Abela’s time is up.
The proverb as I always knew it was:
The accused person who assumes his own defence has a fool for a client and a knave for his defence lawyer.
My wife is a woman of few words, and all she said tonight was “El presidente, he doth protest too much”.
I am quite sure that the people who responded over the years, to Peppi’s plea of ”Kif tista ma iccempilx?” did not have in mind the likes of Ms. Zerafa or other presidential hanger-ons.
Mr President should resign his position in the MCCF forthwith out of respect for the real bona fide charitable causes who depend on the MCCF for financing.
He will not resign as chairman of the MCCF because Mrs. President will then take over.
He will not jump from the frying pan into the fire.
If there is any resigning to do, he should resign as President and Mrs President will disappear with him all in the name of equality! Like killing two birds with one stone.
You can put the trappings of a thoroughbred horse on a mule, but a mule he will remain, nevertheless.
Gorg Abela like John Dalli is a Qormi pruzuntuz, rasu iebsa li jahseb li ghandu ”due palle cosi”’ akbar minn ta’ haddiehor.
The President is the guardian of the Constitution. His is an essential and vital role.
The President is there, among other things, to ensure that in enacting laws Parliament will have acted within the powers granted it by the Constitution then, and only then, may the President append his signature to the Bill so enacting it into law.
As guardian of the Constitution, the President also has the power and the duty to appointment the chairman and members of the Broadcasting Authority and of other similarly structured bodies required by the constitution, should the Prime Minister and, where applicable, the Leader of the Opposition, fail to give the President the relevant ‘advice’.
Dear Mr President, or Your Excellency or whatever else you wish to be called but which title certainly does not befit you.
No charity, charitable fund, or institution should ever use (abuse) its funds to sponsor or award scholarships without issuing a public call inviting anyone with the proper prerequisites to do so.
It is definitely not on, to use the charity’s funds to sponsor one of its own employees, especially one who is directly linked to any of the committee members, especially the President.
In fact, a serious organization would actually prohibit such personnel from as much as applying for such an award of scholarship.
One charity organisation which regularly sponsors students for overseas scholarships is Rotary Malta. The above regulations have always been adhered to, and your member
Mr Harry Fenech, an esteemed Rotarian, knows this perfectly well.
He should have advised you accordingly, and not actually gone along with your recommendations.
I am afraid that it seems that you and most of your members are not fit for purpose. As someone else recently said, “you have all brought dishonour to a great charity, which has up to now been untarnished with such shenanigans. You really have no option but to resign, or forever hang your head in shame”.
The President was right to state that the MCCF is authorized to sponsor scholarships. What he conveniently omitted to say is that the fundamental principles of the MCCF are to help in whatever way, those citizens who find themselves in some kind of a need.
I don’t think that Ms Zerafa is a needy person!
Mr. President was wrong to make the proposal himself. He was ‘out of order’ and in conflict of interest recommending a family member to receive monetary assistance (against the MCCF Charter) to someone who is not in need.
Equally crass is the whole Board for ‘unanimously accepting the President’s proposal’ and approving it without question. They too should go since it is assumed that they are (or should be) familiar with MCCF charter
One can notice this often. The president was caught in lies again! When one starts one has to go on. Look at the president how he forgot (sic) that he recommended her for the job (it will be good for her new job, he had said).
What a farce….can one imagine Queen Elizabeth justifying herself on TV? I admire that lady so much….not once a slip of the tongue (not like Prince Philip) and never ever out of step (not like her children).
The President first said it was he who recommended Darleen Zerafa for the job and then assured the viewers that she will not be applying for the job.
Darleengate.
Or, maybe, just Darleeng.
Dar il-Kenn = Dar Leen.
Oh please. When I heard thePresident on TVHemm saying that the Community Chest Fund paid for Ms. Zerafa’s flights because she used to travel on flights which were not up to standard, I did not understand on which airline because the expression on his face when saying it reminded me of that film where Michael Douglas travelled with all that chickens to Cartagena.
Has the CEO of Ryanair not heard about the oh so bad flight experiences Ms Darleen had to put up with? Miskina.
Can you please upload yesterday’s TVHEMM video as a separate post please?
[Daphne – Of course not. It has to be made publicly available for upload by the producers or whoever owns the rights to it. You can watch it on the TVM site, I believe.]
As Alf said, ‘during his term of office’. No doubt after April 4 Darlene Zerafa will become the boss.
As for the open market, they are either planning this to spite Lawrence Gonzi and Renzo Piano or they’re stark raving mad. Our open market sells nasty cheap synthetic clothes.
This may be just the tip of the iceberg for all we know. While you are at it a breakdown of your expenses will be useful.
You know what the worst part is? Some people actually believe the President’s actions really were justified. And they say that there should be no boycott of the Community Chest Fund because, you know, you might need charity yourself one day.
Well: 1) if that’s the attitude you have towards charity, it’s not charity at all, but rather paying for your own insurance; and 2) the CCF isn’t the only charity in Malta, and I’m sure direct donations to entities like id-Dar tal-Providenza have much less chance of not being put to good use (or the use you actually intended for your money).
Contribute directly to charities of your choice. Less fortunate folks should continue to receive the public’s support although not necessarily through the MCCF.
Exactly.
@P. Sant: “Can I apply for funds to travel abroad for a holiday?”
No seriously.
My family incurs substantial expenses for one of the children to study overseas. This is not about having a holiday.
My family is very angry that someone had her study expenses paid for WITHOUT being selected following a call and a formal selection process.
While we make the sacrifices, others milk the cow kindly made available by the President (who supposedly represents us and ALL Maltese) for the sole reason that she is related to him.
To make matters worse, the President offers to pay for Ms. Zerafa’s study expenses making use of the money which we, and thousands others, gave to the MCCF in good faith to help those who are truly in need.
Like us there are hundreds, possibly thousands, who incur expenses for overseas study. And like us they have every reason to be utterly pissed off with the President for his betrayal of trust.
Somebody in the President’s position should know that when one is in a hole he should stop digging. As the TVHemm programme went on, the deeper the hole became.
According to Articles 7.6 and 12.4 of the Statute of the MCCF “Appointed members / Sub-committee members shall not include persons who are Members of the House of Representatives or candidates either who have contested the immediately preceding National General Elections, European Parliament Elections, Local Council Elections or will be contesting the imminent National General Elections, European Parliament Elections, Local Council Elections.”
Since Darleen Zerafa was the Deputy Mayor at Cospicua Local Council was it appropriate and correct that she was appointed as Secretary to the MCCF Board and also as member of the Foundation of Dar Kenn ghal Sahhtek?
And there we were, thinking that the political climate would have been so much better had Gorg Abela pipped Joseph Muscat to the MLP leadership post.
Labour – qatt ma jinbidel. Dejjem perikuluz. Dejjem tan-nejk.
If Norman is the first victim to succumb to Labour’s systematic plan to mute the media into a state of non-criticism, then the barbarians are not at the gate, they are well and truly inside it.
Qabel kelna l-avvukati li kienu jmexxu l-Malta kif jaqbel lilhom. Issa ghandna ruxmata ta’ psikologi u psuedo- tobba li billi m’ghandhomx fejn idabbru rashom qeghdin insibuhom il-hin kollu ma wiccna fil-gazzetti u tv il-hin kollu jaghtuna pariri u jbellghuna hafna teoriji li qraw minn fuq l-internet.
Malta saret mimliji fondazzjonijiet li qeghdin jixorbu miljuni ta’ fjus il-poplu. Ghalkemm il-gvern jiftahar li qieghed inaqqas in0nies minn mieghu qieghed jghidilna kemm hemm jahdmu ma’ dawn il-fondazzjonijiet u kemm qeghdin jiswewlna?
Ninzghalek il-kappell insomma il-beritta…”Chapeau” jghidu Baxxter u Ciccio.
The Malta Independent quotes the President as saying that Darleen was tailormade for that post.
Sounds more like they made sure the post was tailormade for her.
Jista l-president jaghtina rendikont tal-flus li qieghed jaqla? Meta jurina l-klips waqt il-program tal-iStrina nies morda jgib mhux nies ghal lis-scholarships.
Irridu rendikont ta x’qed isir mill-flus!
Waqt il-gbir dejjem nies morda gabu fil-clips mux li qed jigbru ghall-iskolarships.
Donate to Hospice, they are so kind, when you need help they will help depending how much they can give. They helped lots of people with cancer. This year donate money to Hospice and you won’t regret it.
Irridu rendikont ta x’qed isir mill-flus!
Waqt il-gbir dejjem nies morda gabu fil-clips, mhux li qed jigbru ghall-scholarships.
Sometimes I really wonder why we bother with newspapers at all.
Is it possible that everyone forgot all the denials regarding the training of a person who the then President said had no intention of applying for a job and then newspapers just report that that very same person IS in fact made Director, as if there was no past behind this news?
”Home director Darleen Zerafa said that in its first months of operations Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek provided free care to 15 people suffering from anorexia and bulimia.”
This of course means that this commentary was right but it also means that George Abela lied and that money given for charity must be audited whoever is involved in its allocation.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141220/local/only-8-of-people-suffering-from-eating-disorders-seek-help.549021